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Japanese Culture Essay, Research
Paper

The small island
country of Japan is rich in a culture that has developed over
thousands of years. It is very difficult to analyze another culture
without some knowledge of that culture first. During my two year
residency in Japan, my eyes were opened to the culture of Japan and
its people and I grew to love it as much as my own. (The ideas
expressed in this essay mainly consist of my own knowledge and
observations of Japan). The Japanese are a very traditional people.
But this should not be confused with a primitive people, because the
Japanese are not primitive by most dictionaries’ definitions of the
word. Japan has been changing in recent years in its view of its own
economy, in its social interactions, in its thoughts about religion,
and in its overall view of its place in the world and among other
nations.

For the past
decade, the Japanese economy has been one of the strongest and most
stable economies in the world. In analyzing why it has been so
successful, several factors must be considered. First, the education
system of Japan is one of the highest ranked in the world. The reason
for this is that Japanese children go to school and study more than
students in most other countries. The school year lasts for 240 days
and each school day is very long. Furthermore, most students go to
“cram schools” to study even more after the regular school day is
over. This is all in preparation for the college entrance exam
(Morton, 251-255). Some people have also said that this prepares
Japanese youth for their future in companies with jobs that require
great dedication and 80 to 90 hour work weeks.

This dedication
of Japanese employees to their work contributes greatly to the
strength of the economy of Japan. They feel like they are part of a
big family (the company). Employees work together for the benefit of
the company as a whole. They truly feel that their hard work and
success contribute to the company’s success and growth. Companies
also have special programs and classes for the employees, who are the
children, to make them feel at home. There are company athletic clubs
and cultural classes, such as flower arrangement and the tea
ceremony. Since everyone is a member of the “family” in Japan,
decisions that the company must make are circulated among the lower
echelons of the work force for their opinions and continue until they
reach the executives, who decide the final outcome (Morton, 213-220).

With all of this
“training” in their younger years, the Japanese are hard workers.
And with their math and science skills and hard work combined, they
are one of the world’s leaders in high technology. Over half of
Japan’s total economy is represented by the exports of this high
technology. Automobiles and electronics (televisions, stereos, video
games) are among the goods that Japan sells to other countries for
high profit, thus high economic gain. Therefore, it can reasonably be
said that Japan is a rich country.

The Japanese
people have this wealth divided fairly evenly among them. Most
families are in the upper-middle class. But there are still social
differences between different people within this culture. Japanese
people are very fad-oriented. They want the newest and the best in
every thing they have. As a result, they only buy name-brand clothes
and goods. Having name-brand things is a sign of their social status.
If they can afford “better” things, then their status is higher.

Social status is
very important to the Japanese. For example, the depth of one’s bow
when meeting depends upon the other person’s status comparative to
one’s own. If it is higher, then one’s bow must be deeper,
bending at the waist. If it is lower, then just a slight nod of the
head may suffice. But that is to be judged the instant one meets
someone for the first time. There is also a language, called “keigo,”
within the Japanese language that is specifically used when
addressing someone of a higher social status. This dates back to the
ancient times of the relationship and language used by the samurai to
his lord. This may seem rather stiff and formal to foreigners, but to
the Japanese, it is a part of their culture that has been practiced
for centuries. Even with the different levels of social status, Japan
is a very homogenous nation.

Most of the
population of Japan (99%) is 100% Japanese. In other words, their
parents and parents’ parents have only married other Japanese
people for generations and generations. This is in part due to their
isolation from the rest of the world for thousands of years. It is
very fun to be a foreigner in Japan. In Japan, one is either Japanese
(Nihonjin) or a foreigner (Gaijin). If one visits Japan, he or she
would most likely be called “Gaijin” several times. In this
aspect, there is no differentiation made between the many foreign
countries. To many Japanese, one is either Japanese or he is not.
However, there are exceptions. Instead of calling all foreigners
“Gaijin,” some Japanese people call them “Amerikajin”
(American), which angers foreigners who are from Europe or other
countries. This happens because the Japanese hold the United States
and its people in very high regard. In many ways they consider
themselves inferior to Americans. On the other hand, the Japanese
believe themselves to be superior to all other Asian nations. This
can be seen by the way other Asians are treated in Japan.

Until recently,
women were always thought of as having less importance than men in
Japanese society. They were expected to stay at home and raise the
children, along with fulfilling other household responsibilities,
while their husbands went to work. Women were always supposed to be
meek and submissive, always subservient to the men. However, in
recent years, women have been leaving home to work and enjoy their
own lifestyles in greater numbers. They are beginning to break the
mold that Japanese society has made for them since ancient times.

The Japanese
concept of religion would probably seem more like part of a culture
to a westerner. The religious attitudes of most Japanese people today
“seem to be basically of a pragmatic, rational, or scientific turn
of mind” (Morton, 263). Although most people one talks to in Japan
claim to be Buddhist, many of the same people also claim to be
Shinto. “Japanese may employ Shinto rites when they marry and
Buddhist funeral rites when they die” (Morton, 263). It has been
Buddhism and Shinto that have contributed most to the Japanese
understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Shinto has no
founder and no sacred scriptures, no specific religious philosophy,
or a specific moral code. The Shinto world-view is basically bright
and optimistic and its purpose is the celebration and enrichment of
life. Worship in Shinto is done to show gratitude to the gods and to
secure their continued favor. Since Shinto has no scriptures or moral
codes, worship has always had a central place in the religion.
Instead of church and Sunday school, it has been through festivals
and rituals that Shinto has transmitted its characteristic attitudes
and values.

The other major
Japanese religion, Buddhism, has many scriptures, elaborate
doctrines, and a well-organized priesthood. Although its view of the
world is quite different than that of Shinto, the optimism that the
two share causes them to mesh well.

Christianity is
also present in Japan, but only about 1% of the total population is
of the Christian faith. In spite of the low percentage of Japanese
Christians, many people have Christian weddings in Japan now.

Finally,
comparing Japanese culture to American culture is a very daunting
task. Japan is a country which is thousands of years older than the
United States. Although one might think the Japanese seem to be
nothing like Americans, they are outwardly very much the same. For
example, the Japanese listen to music, watch movies, play sports, and
go to work and to school the same way Americans do. But it is the
“kokoro,” which is the mind and soul, of a Japanese person that
is truly different than that of an American. This “kokoro” is
something that can not be easily explained or understood. It is an
awareness which one slowly receives as he or she is truly immersed in
the culture of the rising sun of Japan.

Bibliography

Morton, W.
Scott. Japan, Its History and Culture. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994

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